Christmas tree stands



Jan. 4, 1966 J. M. LAYTON CHRISTMAS TREE STANDS Filed April 20, 1964 INVENTOR. JOHN M. LQYT N BY J/L 01v, Sarnezz C2416 ATTOENE-YS United States Patent Office 3,227,405 Patented Jan. 4, 1966 Filed Apr. 20, 1964, Set. No. 360,986 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-44) The present invention relates to a supporting stand for a Christmas tree or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a stand for maintaining a Christmas tree or other similar article in vertical or upright position by means of a plurality of tension elements adjustably secured to resiliently flexible legs.

Over the years, many various types of Christmas tree stands or the like have been proposed. The purpose, of course, of such stands is to maintain the tree in a truly vertical position by means of a support easily secured to the tree trunk, and providing a stable base to support the weight of the tree and .thelights and ornaments applied thereto. Despite these many past efforts to provide an adequate Christmas tree stand, the annual struggle to erect a Christmas tree and to support it through the holiday season remains a traumatic experience.

The present invention provides an entirely new approach to the problem of Christmas tree erection and maintenance, in that no attempt is made to support the tree by the dead weight of a massive supporting base. Nor does the present invention attempt to assemble the tree into rigid relation with a fixed triangulated base.

Rather, the present invention proposesthe utilization of a relatively small, simply constructed bowl which receives the butt of the tree trunk against a dished, upwardly concave surface which inherently tends to center trunks of various sizes and configurations. The trunk is held against the bowl by means of at least three of tension elements which are fixedly secured to the tree trunk in spaced relation above the butt thereof, and which depend therefrom into adjustable engagement with resiliently deformable legs, the legs supporting the bowl in spaced relation to the floor or other supporting surface. These tension elements preferably are link-type chains, although cables, ropes or the like may be utilized if desired. 3

The tension elements resiliently deflect the legs relative to the rigid bowl, the deflection of the legs maintaining the tension elements under tension and also affording a ready means for adjusting the trunk into vertical alignment with the supporting surface. This vertical alignment of the trunk is a misnomer, since no Christmas tree ever seems to have a straight trunk but the trunk may be readily adjusted into what visually appears to be vertical alignment so far as the over-alltree configuration is concerned.

It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide a new and novel support for a Christmas tree or the like, and whereinflexible tensioning elements are utilized for the purposes of both support and vertical alignment.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of an improved Christmas tree stand or the like where a plurality of resiliently deflectable support legs are deflected from their normal configuration to tension a plurality of supporting elements extending from the legs into engagement With the trunk of the tree.

It is a further important object of this invention to pro- 7 vide an improved Christmas tree stand or the like wherea portion of the trunk remote from the butt thereof is connected by flexible tensioning elements to a plurality of resiliently deflectable supporting legs, the length of the tensioning elements being variable to deflect the legs individually, thus vertically aligning the trunk and varying the over-all height of the tree.

Yet another, and no less important, object of this invention is the provision of a Christmas tree stand including a central support web having a peripheral flange to which are aflixed at least three individual and separately resiliently flexible support legs from which flexible tensioning elements of variable lengths project for attachment to the tree trunk in spaced relation to the supporting web.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a support of the present invention utilized to maintain a Christmas tree in fixed upright position;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the support of the present invention; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view, with parts shown in elevation, taken along the plane 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

As shown on the drawings:

In FIGURE 1, reference numeral 10 refers generally to a Christmas tree or the like having a trunk 11 terminating at its lower end in a butt end 12 (FIGURE 3).

Although the present invention is equally applicable to the support of other articles, such as sign posts, flag staffs, clothes poles, or the like, it is contemplated that the normal utility of the device will be as a Christmas tree stand, and the remainder of the description will be in conjunction with such use.

In FIGURES 1 through 3, reference numeral 15 indicates generally the support or Christmas tree stand of the present invention. The stand 15 comprises a central bowl indicated generally at 16, the bowl being preferably of unitary, stamped configuration and being formed of sheet metal of substantially uniform thickness.

More particularly, the bowl 16 comprises a central supporting web 17 which is circular in cross-section and which is provided at its center portion with a depressed, arcuate portion 13, the inner surface of the depressed portion 16 being defined by relatively straight, conical surfaces 19 merging into a central depressed recess 20. Circumscribing the central web 17 is an upstanding, generally conical water-retaining wall 21 merging at its upper end through a curved transition portion 22 with a downwardly and outwardly directed circumferential, conical flange 23. The concentric, essentially circular configuration of the bowl 16 provides a rigid, easily formed primary support structure.

The conical flange 23 is inclined downwardly and outwardly and is provided with depressed supporting em-- bossments indicated generally at 25 (FIGURE 3). These embossrnents 25 are formed integrally with the flange 23 and comprise a lower or inner wall 26which is spaced from the undersurface of the flange 23 through a predetermined distance to be hereafter more fully described. The walls 26 have upper edges 27 and lower edges 28 sheared from the flange 23, so that the wall 26 can merely be depressed in a die-forming operation to provide a Channel 29 intermediate the undersurface of the flange 23 and the upper surface of the wall 26.

As illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the bowl 16 is supported in spaced relation to a floor or other supporting surface by means of a plurality of depending, individual legs indicated generally at 33. These legs are preferably formed of strip steel stock and are essentially rectangular in configuration so as to be substantially uniformly resiliently deformable throughout their length. The width and thickness of the legs 30 are carefully correlated with the corresponding dimensions of the channel 29, so that the upper ends of the legs 30 fit snugly into the channels 29. The legs preferably are inserted into the channel to an extent such that the upper ends 31 of the legs abut the undersurface of the bowl 16 beneath the transition or curved portion 22 which joins the bowl wall 21 to the bowl flange 23.

The outer or lower ends of the legs are provided with upwardly deflected terminal support ends 32 which provide supporting feet for the legs. Adjacent the supporting feet 32, each leg 30 is provided with an up-turned tang 33, these tangs being struck from the leg and providing therebeneath a slot having a closed upper end and an open lower end, the lower end opening toward the feet 32.

Thus, as best seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the legs 30 project radially outwardly from the bowl 16, and also project axially of the bowl 16 to support the bowl in spaced relation to the floor.

The tangs 33 are of a size and configuration accommodating their utilization in conjunction with flexible tension elements indicated generally at 35 (see FIGURE 1). These flexible tension elements 35 preferably are link chains, although ropes or cable can also be utilized, if desired. tion, the chains are lapped about the trunk 11 and secured thereto in spaced relation to the bowl 15. The securing of the chains to the trunk may be accomplished in any desired manner, as by merely wrapping the chain around the trunk or by providing the chain end with a hook engageable in one of the links of the chain.

In any event, the chains depend from the trunk radially outwardly and axially downwardly toward the legs 30, each chain being secured to its equivalent leg 30 by insertion of the tang 33 of the leg into one of the links of the chain.

Further, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, three legs 30 are illustrated. While this is the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be appreciated that four or more legs may also be utilized if desired.

In use, the stand 15 is assembled by merely inserting the upper ends 31 of the legs through the equivalent channels 29. Next, the tree is positioned in the bowl 16 with the butt 12 of the tree trunk 11 abutting the interior conical surface 19 of the recess 18. By virture of the recess 18, trees of various butt sizes may be accommodated by the bowl. It is not necessary that the butt 12 be carefully cut in a true radial plane, and the conical surface 19 tends to center the butt in the recess.

Next, the chains or other flexible tension element 35 are secured to the trunk, as at 36, in spaced relation above the butt 12 of the tree, and the chains are pulled downwardly and outwardly to the positions illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. Next, the tangs 33 are inserted through the links of the associated chains, thus assembling the stand 15 and the tree 10.

The weight of the tree bearing upon the bowl 16 will normally deflect the legs 30 to some extent. To increase the stability of the tree in the stand, it is desirable to further deflect each of the legs 39 prior to the insertion In the illustrated embodiment of the inven- 40 of the tang into the chain links, thereby insuring tensioning of the chains 35 to pull the tree trunk 11 downwardly relative to the bowl. After a visual inspection of the tree, it is usually desirable to increase the tension in one or more of the legs 30 by deflecting the desired leg upwardly and repositioning the tang in a different one of the links. In this manner, the tree trunk can be straightened in the bowl, so that the over-all visual appearance of the tree 10 is truly plumb in a vertical plane.

Thus, it will be appreciated that the present invention provides a new and novel Christmas tree stand which does not rely upon mere mass or mere size to support a tree. Rather, the present invention relies upon tension in the flexible tension elements 35, which tension is generated by deflection of the legs 30 to maintain the tree in visually perfect vertical alignment. When the lightness of construction of the stand, the low cost of the stand unit, the ease and rapidity of stand assembly and of tree installation in stand, ready dis-assembly of the stand for storage, and the possibilities of readily and accurately adjusting the tree relative to the stand, are coupled with the sturdy support provided by the relatively widely spaced legs 30, it will be appreciated that a very effective, inexpensive, and readily utilized tree stand is provided by the present invention.

While one exemplary embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosed embodiment may be modified. Therefore, the foregoing description is to be considered exemplarly rather than limiting, and the true scope of the invention is that defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A tree stand or the like for supporting and maintaining a tree trunk in an upright, truly vertical position, comprising a bowl having a central web dished to an upwardly directed concave configuration for supporting the butt end or the tree trunk, while leaving said butt end shiftable laterally, said bowl having an integral peripheral flange surrounding said web, three resiliently deflectible, normally planar legs having their upper ends, respectively, secured to said flange, said legs projecting downwardly and outwardly from said flange so that their free lower ends can contact a supporting surface to retain said bowl above said surface, and individual flexible tension elements for connecting each of said legs to said tree trunk in spaced relation to and generally above said trunk butt end, said elements each having a connected length between said trunk and the corresponding leg which is less than the relaxed distance therebetween, so that said legs are each deflected from the normal planar configuration thereof, and said elements each being individually adjustable to vary the degree of tension in said elements and the degree of resilient deflection of the corresponding legs, thereby adjusting the overall height of the tree-stand assembly and varying the inclination of the tree trunk to laterally shift the butt end thereof relative to said supporting surface, and the tension elements in combination with said legs exerting a cumulative downward force on said trunk to retain the butt end thereof on said web.

2. In a tree stand or the like for supporting and maintaining a tree in an upright position, a bowl having a central support web having a central downwardly dished concave upper surface for supporting the butt end of the tree trunk while leaving the trunk movable angularly for alignment to a vertical position and means defining attachment sockets surrounding said web, three resiliently deflectible legs each having an upper end insertable into one of said sockets, so that said legs project radially and axially downwardly from said bowl to retain said bowl above a support surface, said legs each being of solid rectangular configuration, and tension means for interconnecting said legs and said tree trunk, said tension means being individually adjustably attached to said legs, respectively, adjacent the lower ends thereof to extend upwardly therefrom and being fixedly anchorable to said trunk above the butt end thereof, said rectangular legs being oriented so that the tension means resiliently defleet the legs in the planes of the least dimensions of said legs, the deflection of said legs exerting a cumulative downward force on said trunk urging the trunk downwardly against said concave web surface, and the individual adjustment of the attachment of said tension means to each leg varying the angular alignment of said trunk on said concave web surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS MacLatchie 248-48 Schultz 24848 Ekola 24848 Zelenitz 248-48 CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner.

10 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Examiner. 

1. A TREE STAND OR THE LIKE FOR SUPPORTING AND MAINTAINING A TREE TRUNK IN AN UPRIGHT, TRULY VERTICAL POSITION, COMPRISING A BOWL HAVING A CENTRAL WEB DISHED TO AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED CONCAVE CONFIGURATION FOR SUPPORTING THE BUTT END OF THE TREE TRUNK, WHILE LEAVING SAID BUTT END SHIFTABLE LATERALLY, SAID BOWL HAVING AN INTEGRAL PERIPHERAL FLANGE SURROUNDING SAID WEB, THREE RESILIENTLY DEFLECTIBLE, NORMALLY PLANAR LEGS HAVING THEIR UPPER ENDS, RESPECTIVELY, SECURED TO SAID FLANGE, SAID LEGS PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FROM SAID FLANGE SO THAT THEIR FREE LOWER ENDS CAN CONTACT A SUPPORTING SURFACE TO RETAIN SAID BOWL ABOVE SAID SURFACE, AND INDIVIDUAL FLEXIBLE TENSION ELEMENTS FOR CONNECTING EACH OF SAID LEGS TO SAID FREE TRUNK IN SPACED RELATION TO AND GENERALLY ABOVE SAID TRUNK BUTT END, SAID ELEMENTS EACH HAVING A CONNECTED LENGTH 